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Colorado DMU?

Posted: 21 Jul 2006 22:28
by metalangel
I've searched, couldn't find a mention of it (for Lomo at least, I know they have it for TTDP/OTTD)

Has anyone considered the Colorado railcars, which will soon give US passengers all the delights their widescale introduction gave the UK in the 80s and 90s(dramatically reduced train length, constant vibration and noise from the engines under the floor, less comfort) for inclusion?

Image

Image

Posted: 21 Jul 2006 22:38
by Illegal_Alien
Hmm, i am still wondering why the American trains are always ugly? :lol:

Posted: 21 Jul 2006 22:46
by Samo
keep in mind, we had the 20th century limited. its only true competition in any aspect was the oriental express :P

Posted: 22 Jul 2006 09:04
by metalangel
“Savings can really add up. When the DMU’s lifetime operating cost savings over locomotive-hauled trains are taken into account,” commented Tom Rader, President of Colorado Railcar, “owning DMUs is like buying your rolling stock at a 69% discount”.
"Of course, if demand increases, you have to hope you have a whole other DMU to spare to attach, unlike a normal train where you can just couple on another carriage or two. In the likely scenario that you'll have bought exactly as many DMUs as you need, you won't have any way to increase capacity on any given service short of cancelling another scheduled service and taking its train," he didn't add.

Posted: 22 Jul 2006 14:50
by Train-a-Mania
I'm going to Colorado in a week. Where did you see this?

Posted: 22 Jul 2006 22:30
by metalangel
http://www.coloradorailcar.com/

Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, LLC
1011 14th Street
Ft. Lupton, CO 80621

Posted: 23 Jul 2006 14:33
by Train-a-Mania
Do they only run in Ft. Lupton, or do they connect to other cities.

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 10:02
by metalangel
train-a-mania wrote:Do they only run in Ft. Lupton, or do they connect to other cities.
*reads the website for you*

No, silly, that's where they're built. They, based on the limited information on the website (they seem more interested in telling you how cheap the things are than showing how many suckers have bought one) but it appears they run in Florida with SFRTA, on the Rocky Mountaineer (wherever that is) and for three Cruise Companies.

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 17:27
by Train-a-Mania
Oh. Thank you.

P.S. The Rocky Mountaineer is in British Columbia.

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 17:29
by metalangel
train-a-mania wrote:P.S. The Rocky Mountaineer is in British Columbia.
Ack! Does that mean BC Rail's RDCs are gone?

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 18:22
by Train-a-Mania
I think there are some still in service (there's two at the Wilton Scenic Railroad in Wilton, NH, although their future is on the line due to the death of the company's founder).

P.S. Congrats on making the 1000 mark.

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 18:25
by Breeze646
train-a-mania wrote:I think there are some still in service (there's two at the Wilton Scenic Railroad in Wilton, NH, although their future is on the line due to the death of the company's founder).

P.S. Congrats on making the 1000 mark.
Hey you did my job!!!

Anyway yeah I know that the Via Rail RDCs are gone.

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 18:50
by metalangel
train-a-mania wrote:P.S. Congrats on making the 1000 mark.
Cripes, I didn't even realize. Thanks!

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 19:32
by scpk2000
Illegal_Alien wrote:Hmm, i am still wondering why the American trains are always ugly? :lol:
Most of the American train routes are used for freight I think, so aesthetics and "beauty" are not something they aim for...not to mention the national passanger trains service "Amtrak" is a joke. The big demand for passenger trains is mostly in the big cities or tourist spots for passanger trains...that and the fact that A LOT of cities are growing big time and trying to catch up. Here in Phoenix, Valley Metro, just got funding to put in a Light Rail, The Metro... seen here...http://www.valleymetro.org/rail/index.html
At any rate, another reason why might be, because there is a big spance of land that has to be covered...who knows.

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 22:13
by metalangel
scpk2000 wrote:
Illegal_Alien wrote:Hmm, i am still wondering why the American trains are always ugly? :lol:
Most of the American train routes are used for freight I think, so aesthetics and "beauty" are not something they aim for...not to mention the national passanger trains service "Amtrak" is a joke. The big demand for passenger trains is mostly in the big cities or tourist spots for passanger trains...that and the fact that A LOT of cities are growing big time and trying to catch up. Here in Phoenix, Valley Metro, just got funding to put in a Light Rail, The Metro... seen here...http://www.valleymetro.org/rail/index.html
At any rate, another reason why might be, because there is a big spance of land that has to be covered...who knows.
You're trying to explain the wrong thing. Demand for passengers or distance that has to be travelled has no bearing on what a train's body panels will look like, especially when it's designed from scratch like the Coloradio DMU. The only explanation is 'the designer had no taste' :?

Posted: 24 Jul 2006 23:06
by scpk2000
metalangel wrote:
scpk2000 wrote:
Illegal_Alien wrote:Hmm, i am still wondering why the American trains are always ugly? :lol:
Most of the American train routes are used for freight I think, so aesthetics and "beauty" are not something they aim for...not to mention the national passanger trains service "Amtrak" is a joke. The big demand for passenger trains is mostly in the big cities or tourist spots for passanger trains...that and the fact that A LOT of cities are growing big time and trying to catch up. Here in Phoenix, Valley Metro, just got funding to put in a Light Rail, The Metro... seen here...http://www.valleymetro.org/rail/index.html
At any rate, another reason why might be, because there is a big spance of land that has to be covered...who knows.
You're trying to explain the wrong thing. Demand for passengers or distance that has to be travelled has no bearing on what a train's body panels will look like, especially when it's designed from scratch like the Coloradio DMU. The only explanation is 'the designer had no taste' :?
Ok...whatever.

Posted: 25 Jul 2006 21:18
by Breeze646
Illegal_Alien wrote:Hmm, i am still wondering why the American trains are always ugly? :lol:
Andel did you delete my post?

Well anyway trains pre-2003 were nice. After 2003 they tend to be ugly but some are nice.

Posted: 25 Jul 2006 21:26
by andel
I think I did Breeze... there are reasons - I've PM'd them to you.

Posted: 28 Jul 2006 14:55
by scpk2000
Was someone going to make this train? :?:

Posted: 28 Jul 2006 15:02
by Illegal_Alien
If no-one said yes it wont.